What Are The Greatest Changes In Shopping In Your Lifetime

What are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime? So asked my 9 year old grandson.

As I thought of the question the local Green Grocer came to mind. Because that is what the greatest change in shopping in my lifetime is.

That was the first place to start with the question of what are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime.

Our local green grocer was the most important change in shopping in my lifetime. Beside him was our butcher, a hairdresser and a chemist.

Looking back, we were well catered for as we had quite a few in our suburb. And yes, the greatest changes in shopping in my lifetime were with the small family owned businesses.

Entertainment While Shopping Has Changed
Buying butter was an entertainment in itself.
My sister and I often had to go to a favourite family grocer close by. We were always polite as we asked for a pound or two of butter and other small items.

Out came a big block of wet butter wrapped in grease-proof paper. Brought from the back of the shop, placed on a huge counter top and included two grooved pates.

That was a big change in our shopping in my lifetime… you don’t come across butter bashing nowadays.

Our old friendly Mr. Mahon with the moustache, would cut a square of butter. Lift it to another piece of greaseproof paper with his pates. On it went to the weighing scales, a bit sliced off or added here and there.

Our old grocer would then bash it with gusto, turning it over and over. Upside down and sideways it went, so that it had grooves from the pates, splashes going everywhere, including our faces.

My sister and I thought this was great fun and it always cracked us up. We loved it, as we loved Mahon’s, on the corner, our very favourite grocery shop.

Grocery Shopping
Further afield, we often had to go to another of my mother’s favourite, not so local, green grocer’s. Mr. McKessie, ( spelt phonetically) would take our list, gather the groceries and put them all in a big cardboard box.

And because we were good customers he always delivered them to our house free of charge. But he wasn’t nearly as much fun as old Mr. Mahon. Even so, he was a nice man.

All Things Fresh
So there were very many common services such as home deliveries like:

• Farm eggs

• Fresh vegetables

• Cow’s milk

• Freshly baked bread

• Coal for our open fires

Delivery Services
A man used to come to our house a couple of times a week with farm fresh eggs.

Another used to come every day with fresh vegetables, although my father loved growing his own.

Our milk, topped with beautiful cream, was delivered to our doorstep every single morning.

Unbelievably, come think of it now, our bread came to us in a huge van driven by our “bread-man” named Jerry who became a family friend.

My parents always invited Jerry and his wife to their parties, and there were many during the summer months. Kids and adults all thoroughly enjoyed these times. Alcohol was never included, my parents were teetotallers. Lemonade was a treat, with home made sandwiches and cakes.

The coal-man was another who delivered bags of coal for our open fires. I can still see his sooty face under his tweed cap but I can’t remember his name. We knew them all by name but most of them escape me now.

Mr. Higgins, a service man from the Hoover Company always came to our house to replace our old vacuum cleaner with an updated model.

Our insurance company even sent a man to collect the weekly premium.

People then only paid for their shopping with cash. This in itself has been a huge change in shopping in my lifetime.

In some department stores there was a system whereby the money from the cash registers was transported in a small cylinder on a moving wire track to the central office.

Some Of The Bigger Changes
Some of the bigger changes in shopping were the opening of supermarkets.

• Supermarkets replaced many individual smaller grocery shops. Cash and bank cheques have given way to credit and key cards.

• Internet shopping… the latest trend, but in many minds, doing more harm, to book shops.

• Not many written shopping lists, because mobile phones have taken over.

On a more optimistic note, I hear that book shops are popular again after a decline.

Personal Service Has Most Definitely Changed
So, no one really has to leave home, to purchase almost anything, technology makes it so easy to do online.
And we have a much bigger range of products now, to choose from, and credit cards have given us the greatest ease of payment.

We have longer shopping hours, and weekend shopping. But we have lost the personal service that we oldies had taken for granted and also appreciated.

Because of their frenetic lifestyles, I have heard people say they find shopping very stressful, that is grocery shopping. I’m sure it is when you have to dash home and cook dinner after a days work. I often think there has to be a better, less stressful way.

My mother had the best of both worlds, in the services she had at her disposal. With a full time job looking after 9 people, 7 children plus her and my dad, she was very lucky. Lucky too that she did not have 2 jobs.

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

Natural Skin Care – Know Which Natural Ingredients Can Help Protect Your Skin

Now that winter’s harsh weather is finally beginning to wane, it’s time to assess your skin’s moisturizing needs. The harsh and arid climates produced by indoor heating and outdoor wind may have diminished somewhat, but their effects on your skin likely have not. Flaky legs, hands that resemble tiny road maps, and cracked lips serve as reminders of the past dry months. Just as you may change your wardrobe to accommodate the warmer weather, it’s time to “dress up” your skin for spring!Human skin is an incredible feat of nature. Not only does it protect our organs from the elements and help to regulate body temperature, but it’s our first barrier from infection, as well. Actually, the skin is considered an organ in itself — the body’s largest, in fact. And, since moisturizers and creams account for nearly 23 percent of the cosmetics market, it’s apparent that we care a good deal how our largest organ looks to others. But, before you slather on that oil-laden cream or lotion, it’s important to understand how the skin functions and to dispel a few myths about moisturizing products to boot.What is Natural Skin Care?Just place, ‘natural skin care’ is helpful for your skin in a natural and chemical-free manner. ‘Natural skin care’ supports to facilitate the skin to take care of itself. A lot of natural skin cares procedures are essentially the similar as those for body care in general.
Eight Leading Ways For Natural Skin Care* The first and the most important natural skin care action are – ‘Drink a lot of water’. Almost 8 glasses of water is an essential each day. It helps in redden out the pollutants from the body, in a natural way. It helps in the general maintenance of the body and endorses good health for all organs (not just skin).* Overall cleanliness is also a valuable way of natural skin care. Everyday shower, wearing clean clothes and sleeping on a clean mattress/pillow are all concerned with overall cleanliness. After all, clean skin is the most essential thing to keep the skin disorders ward off.* Habitual exercise is the next thing for natural skin care. Exercise improves the flow of blood that helps in getting liberate of body pollutants and keeping you hale and hearty. Exercise also facilitates in thrashing stress, which is the most terrible foe of good health.* Vigorous food and eating routines are also suggested for natural skin care. Some sort of food (e.g. oily food) is known to basis acne and should be stayed away as much as possible. Your food intake should be a healthy combination of a range of nutrient-providing foods. Crude fruits and vegetables are known to give bloom to your body and help out in getting free of body pollutants* A fine sleep is also helpful in sustaining good health and in defeating tension. As a natural skin care actions, a good sleep delays drooping of skin.* Defeating strain is one more natural skin care treatment. Stress affects overall destruction to body and health. Drinking a lot of water, getting a sound sleep and exercise has previously been declared as strain busters. Pampering in a temperate bubble bath, snooping to music and playing your desired sport are also good ways of thrashing stress.* Keep away from unnecessary contact to sun (by wearing long sleeved clothes, hat and umbrella etc), is another natural skin care way. Sunscreen lotions are also suggested as essential* A lot of customary and homemade natural care products/ procedures are also renowned to be very successful. Such actions are not only natural and easy-to-follow, but also comparatively cheap. In addition that, a lot of natural skin cares products are accessible in the commercial market. These contain things like lavender oil, aloe Vera etc., which don’t have any side effectsPersonal Skin Care’ Is A RoutineWe all comprehend the significance of ‘personal skin care’. Though, personal skin care is not that difficult and neither is it that costly (in view of how useful it is). Personal skin care is subsequent a routine or a process for attendance to the needs of your skin. Even before you start with a routine, you have to clarify your skin-type (oily, dry, sensitive, normal etc) and choose the personal skin care products appropriate for it. Here is a routine that should work for most people with normal skin.The primary thing on personal skin care routine is ‘Cleansing’. The three main features of a cleanser are oil, water and surfactants. The second thing on the personal care routine is exfoliation. Skin pursues a natural preservation process in which it eliminates the dead cells and substitutes them with new skin cells. Exfoliation is just a way to smooth the progress of the skin in this process.After that, the thing on personal skin care routine is moisturizer. This is one of the most significant things in personal care. Even people with oily skin require moisturizers. Moisturizers not only stop the moisture in your skin cells, but also magnetize moisture (from air) when required.The very last thing on personal care routine is sunscreen. A proportion of moisturizers come with UV defense – so you can acquire twice over benefits from them. Such moisturizers are suggested for all days (irrespective of whether it is sunny or cloudy).Yet again, testing with a variety of personal skin care products and also with the amount you need to apply, what give you most excellent results are the best personal skin care guidelines for you.Vigorous skin is actually one of the most significant ingredients for beauty-enhancement.